Music Director & Conductor: Greg Woodbridge
Executive Director: Susan Cort
Concertmaster: John Gazsi
For 55 years, the Hershey Symphony Orchestra has entertained music lovers throughout Central Pennsylvania. The Hershey Symphony is an orchestra of accomplished musicians, voluntarily giving of their time and talents to create a culturally enriching and enjoyable experience for the community. The orchestra is located in Hershey, Pennsylvania, and its 80 members come from a wide area of Eastern and Central Pennsylvania. They rehearse weekly and perform throughout the year in a season that includes three masterworks and three pops concerts, an annual fundraising gala and many special performances at community locations.
Concert programs include music from all periods and styles – classical to romantic, baroque to contemporary, symphonic to Broadway – exposing both the musicians and audiences to a wide variety of musical literature. Making a special effort to honor local talent, the orchestra has featured many local musicians and musical organizations as guest soloists.
Hershey Symphony concerts and programs each year include:
- 6 subscription concerts
- our annual benefit gala
- summer outdoor pops concerts in Hershey, Lebanon, and Mt. Gretna
- The Hershey Symphony Festival Strings Youth Orchestra
The Hershey Symphony currently sponsors two annual programs for youth music education. The orchestra’s Festival Strings Program provides an opportunity for middle-school children from Central Pennsylvania to perform in our youth string orchestra. This program is designed for beginning musicians who are not yet sufficiently skilled to be a part of a formal area youth orchestra. This program fills a void for musicians at this level. Our Young Artist Competition strives to foster young artists with superior musical abilities who reside in South Central Pennsylvania.